Thanks so much for the steady stream of donations large and small -- each penny helps and goes to this wonderful cause!

We can now fund SEVEN dogs plus are a fourth of the way to funding an eighth.

This is just incredible generosity. :wggle:

Don't forget: Researchers Penny Knowler and Clare Rusbridge are in an ongoing search to find the best dogs to scan for this project: they need to be registered KC dogs of age 6 or older, with no SM symptoms. They can be breeder dogs or pet owner dogs. They are most valuable when connected to recognised lines as this will be most directly beneficial to understanding current lines of inheritance, the best contemporary lines, and be of greatest help to breeders and Sarah Blott in setting up gBVs (the very precise genetic version of the EBV (Estimated Breeding Value) programme. Getting these scans done will be the best shot the breed gets at understanding inheritance and at preserving the best genes through carefully informed breeding. When the genome project ends this year, this opportunity will be lost and breeders will be left with just the EBVs for the foreseeable future -- which will require them to continue scanning, at long term personal expense, for years into the future. And, without these scans, the gBVs when eventually done will not have the invaluable added information on progression and clearest lines that will come from scanning these older dogs.

Remember: already the BVA/KC/Sarah Blott and Tom Lewis have determined the CKCS EBV scheme cannot even begin as planned because of too few breeder scans, too little information. Tom Lewis told the recent breeder seminar that currently it looks like it may be YEARS before they will have enough information for reasonably accurate EBVs unless breeders start extensively scanning -- or the genome work is finished with the best possible information. The fresh news that in a group of 60 Australian show breeders' cavaliers that were presumed clear as they had no symptoms at all, a full 50% already had syrinxes can only emphasise how critical it is to get older dogs for scans. Rupert's Fund can fund some of those dogs! :)

Breeders and pet owners can contact Penny Knowler or Clare Rusbridge to discuss their possible scan candidates privately. Please remember I have nothing to do with the scan programme itself and am not taking applications myself so else do not PM me or email me with questions or pedigree info -- you need to talk to Penny or Clare. :thmsbup: But I am happy to explain more about the project for anyone with questions; just PM me.

Penny Knowler's email is listed in the ifnormation on making donations or providing dogs, pinned in the Rupert's Fund forum. Or contact Clare Rusbridge here: http://www.veterinary-neurologist.co.uk/contact_us.htm